Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 69
Under the bright moonlight and sparse starlight.
Oliver sat up in bed with a dazed expression.
The moon outside his window had just reached its zenith.
This clearly indicated that it was still far too early for him to wake up naturally.
After sitting in confused silence for a while, Oliver realized that these two sudden awakenings in the middle of the night seemed connected to his pleasant dreams about petting cats.
He couldn’t help but turn his head slightly toward the fortune cat statue that wore a serious feline expression while holding up its adorable paw, murmuring as if to himself: “Was it you?”
Even he hadn’t expected that his obsession with petting cats had become so deep… that not even the game system could suppress it.
……
…… yes……
……
Unknown to Oliver, from the distant divine realm his soul had just left, came an affirmative answer.
Though this newborn deity didn’t quite understand more complex emotions like “shyness” and “jealousy” yet, it had already developed a profound understanding of “happiness.”
It felt happy when seeing its beloved believer.
It felt happy when able to speak with its beautiful believer.
And it felt especially happy… when its believer gently rubbed its ears while softly whispering words of affection.
While still confused about important matters like establishing divine principles, it had already clearly identified the person who brought it the greatest joy.
What troubled it was that precisely because it felt too happy, it had once again failed to precisely control its divine power.
This caused the temple formed by its power to temporarily dissipate, unable to provide a stable environment where its believer’s soul could safely reside.
However, compared to two days ago, it had now obtained more power of faith and had grown much stronger.
Therefore, it only needed half a day to fully recover.
—Tomorrow night, it would be able to meet its beloved believer again.
Just thinking about this filled it with such intense joy that it felt overwhelmed.
Then in the next moment, it heard Oliver say cheerfully: “Since I’m already awake, I might as well go check on the chicken coop.”
…… ! …… ! …… ! ……
Completely unaware that in the divine realm, a certain Cat God had been stunned speechless by his words, Oliver decided to visit the chicken coop after studying the cat statue for a while.
Due to the recent bandit attack, although he still visited the chicken coop daily to pet each chick that was growing more adult feathers and becoming less “fluffy,” he had significantly reduced the attention he devoted to them.
In reality, the chicks had been free-ranging for a week and a half—it was time to test the results of various training efforts.
Thinking this, Oliver placed the Cat God statue back on his bedside table.
……
…… No……
…… Don’t…… go……
……
Completely unaware of the new oracle being delivered, Oliver spoke seriously to the dumbfounded lucky cat statue: “Dear Cat God, your faithful believer is about to work hard for the glorious expansion of the Fluffy Faith. Please bless me.”
Him: “……”
After washing up briefly, Oliver changed clothes and prepared to go out.
“Your Highness.”
As soon as the door opened, it revealed Noel’s surprised face.
Despite having previously learned about the Lord’s “midnight harvest in the cornfield,” Noel still felt astonished by the young lord’s sudden appearance.
Was it because he had ordered the execution of those scoundrels in the afternoon?
Thinking this, Noel’s gaze toward Oliver was filled with heartache and affection. “Is there anything I can do for you, Your Highness?”
“I just want to check on the chicken coop,” Oliver explained with a smile. “Make sure to keep it a secret from Fosse.”
In just one short day, there were already two matters that His Highness had insisted must be ‘kept secret from Fosse’….
Noel felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier, yet at the same time, he felt a sense of pride at being entrusted with such responsibility.
He bowed deeply. “I understand, Your Highness.”
Oliver deliberately softened his footsteps and signaled the servants along the way to remain silent.
He moved almost stealthily, all to avoid disturbing the butler’s rest.
Thanks to the game system’s modifications to his physique, as long as he had “rested,” his energy would be fully restored to 100%.
Fosse, however, was different.
In the eyes of others, Fosse, who had just passed forty, was already considered an old man.
Of course, to Oliver, Fosse was still in the prime of his life.
But even a truly young and robust person needed sufficient rest.
Oliver quickly led Noel down to the castle’s ground floor, skillfully navigating through the corridors and heading straight toward the cornfield where the chicken coop was located.
Lucy and the other two responsible for raising the chicks took turns on night duty. That night, it happened to be Jonathan’s shift.
To ward off drowsiness, he occasionally entered the chicken coop to check on things while using a small stick he had picked up to draw something on the leveled patch of ground, occasionally pausing to ponder.
When he heard footsteps approaching, he initially thought it was Ziken and said without turning his head, “Why are you here? It’s not yet time for you to relieve—”
“Rise!”
“What an impudent slave!”
Though deliberately lowered, the familiar, authoritative voice suddenly exploded beside his ear, startling Jonathan so much that he leaped to his feet.
“Y-Your Highness!”
He panicked and knelt down, repeatedly begging for forgiveness.
“It’s fine, rise.”
Oliver gestured for him to be quiet, stopping Noel, who was visibly displeased with Jonathan’s earlier disrespect, from further reprimanding him. He then shifted the topic with a smile, “I just came to take a look at the chicks. How are they doing?”
“T-the chicks are all doing well, Your Highness,” Jonathan stammered, still visibly shaken. “Would you like to see?”
Oliver nodded lightly. “Open the door.”
Jonathan did not dare delay for even a moment and quickly opened the chicken coop door.
The construction of the chicken coop had been strictly carried out by the craftsmen and slaves according to Oliver’s instructions.
Thus, as soon as the shed door opened, Oliver, standing nearby, could clearly feel the airflow.
To his satisfaction, there was no unpleasant odor mixed in the air.
This indicated that the ventilation in the chicken coop was excellent and the manure was being cleaned promptly.
“You’ve done very well.”
Oliver did not hesitate to offer his praise.
Before the overwhelmed Jonathan could kneel to express his gratitude, Oliver had Noel light a few candles and stand in front of the chicken coop so he could see inside. Casually, he asked, “Have you trained the chickens to roost on perches?”
Chickens naturally prefer resting at higher places, and roosting on perches not only maximizes the use of the limited space in the coop…It also reduces contact with the relatively damp ground while preventing the belly feathers from being soiled by feces that haven’t been cleaned up in time, thereby lowering the risk of disease.
“Yes, Your Highness.” No matter how many times he encountered this astonishingly beautiful prince up close, Jonathan’s heart couldn’t help but pound. He replied nervously, “No matter who is on duty, every night we repeatedly check to ensure no chickens are resting on the ground. Whenever we find a chicken lying directly on the ground—whether out of laziness or because it failed to secure a good spot—we pick it up and place it back on the roost to help them develop the habit.”
“Hmm.” Oliver nodded. “You don’t need to accompany me anymore. Continue with your tasks.”
After saying this, he led Noel to the pasture adjacent to the chicken coop.
Relying solely on moonlight was clearly insufficient for proper visibility—Oliver naturally put on the Cat God’s Ring, using the light emitted from his body through the ring’s effect to carefully inspect the ground.
Jonathan dared not actually leave the Lord to his own devices and focus on other matters.
Moreover, night watch was the easiest shift: the chicks were all asleep, and it was impossible for thieves to come at night, making it his most relaxed time. He usually used these hours to organize and summarize the chicken-rearing experience and knowledge he had learned during the day, saving it for when he would raise new chicks.
In Jonathan’s anxious wait, Oliver soon returned with Noel.
He confirmed a few things: the weeds in the cornfield closest to the chicken coop had been most thoroughly scratched away by the chicks, leaving almost no insects or humus[mfn]Humus: The dark, nutrient-rich organic matter in soil formed from decomposed plants and animals.[/mfn] behind.
This was a typical case of overgrazing—it was time to expand the grazing area and implement proper zoning to ensure the grass could grow fast enough to keep up with the chicks’ foraging.
“After daybreak, relay a few matters to Lucy.”
Of course, Oliver could have assigned the tasks directly to Jonathan, but he chose not to.
Lucy was currently the brooding supervisor he had promoted… though she was still a temporary worker, that talented young girl was indeed doing quite well in all aspects.
Since Jonathan was currently Lucy’s subordinate, to maintain her authority, Oliver couldn’t bypass her by giving orders directly to him.
“The weather is getting hotter, so the chicks will be active for longer periods and over wider areas, but it’s essential to establish sufficiently large shaded areas for them.” Oliver said with a slight smile, “As for how to construct them, we’ll decide when I come by tomorrow… By the way, I saw you scratching on the ground with a stick earlier. Were you writing something?”
Jonathan’s heart skipped a beat in nervousness, and he hurriedly explained, “Respected Lord, I apologize. I was just trying to record what I learned during the day.”
He was well aware of Lord Oliver’s kindness and benevolence.
However… in the past, if the supervisor discovered that he, a slave, dared to constantly review knowledge he had acquired as a commoner, he would always use ‘being too restless’ as an excuse to whip him severely.
What Jonathan never dared to imagine was that upon hearing his confession, the beautiful Lord merely nodded slightly and said in an approving tone, “Last time I noticed you recording what I said. So you’ve received some education? Were you previously a commoner?”
Jonathan felt a warmth spread through his chest.
The Lord did not remember ever bestowing the boon of saving him from Andison’s whip, yet remembered how he secretly recorded chicken-raising methods by Lucy’s side.
…… Such a wonderful Lord.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Under Noel’s sharp gaze, Jonathan mustered unprecedented courage, knelt on one knee, and gazed at the Lord with fervent yet restrained devotion.
Although Jonathan did not specify the reason for becoming a slave, Oliver could guess it.
After some thought, Oliver felt that the original numb atmosphere among the slaves was gradually changing, and there was no longer a need to deliberately suppress good workers like Jonathan and Lucy.
They deserved good treatment, so they should receive it.
Thus, he nodded kindly and straightforwardly made a promise: “Your name is Jonathan, right? Keep doing your work well. Raising chickens is far more difficult than many imagine, but if you can succeed, the rewards will exceed everyone’s expectations. When that day comes, you will have made a great contribution to Laina and become a beloved follower of the great Cat God…… As long as you successfully pass the year-end test, you can regain your status as a commoner. Of course, beyond that, the better you perform in your work, the more rewards you will receive.”
